Cover Image: The Parisian

The Parisian

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Member Reviews

Conflicted about this one - so much to love in the evocative writing, the delicate portrayal of Midhat's relationships, and flaws, and the way the story of one family entwines with the wider political context. But so wordy! It could easily have been 20% shorter without losing any of the key themes and plot points (and there are a couple of secondary characters who I'd happily have seen culled).

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Isabella Hammad’s novel, centred on the character of her great grandfather Midhat, manages to give the reader sublime writing about domestic life and love within a big political canvas. This is partly a love story, and partly a story of people subject to colonialism trying to fight for independence. I remember learning about the Balfour Declaration at school, with no real explanation of the real implications for Palestinians. Hammad brings this period to life. The novel moves from Constantinople, to Montpelier, to Paris and Cairo, but it is in Nablus that the novel is really at home (even though Midhat, “the Parisian” looks back with love to France). At times heartbreaking, both personally and politically, this book is beautifully and intelligently written, shining a light on a part of history that is still reverberating today.

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A beautifully written and thoroughly researched story set between the world wars, culturally rich and engaging imagery and language. I knew nothing really about Palestinian politics or history and I’m so grateful to have discovered this book.

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The idea of this book sounded very interesting to me. I enjoy a good historical novel, and I was fascinated by some of the setting taking part in Palestine, particularly early 20th century Palestine.

We were off to a good start in the beginning of this book. I thought Hammad quite vividly painted the scene - I could feel Midhat's discomfort to the casual racism he experienced, and the indignity of being spoken about the way he was. I felt this was really quite believable.

I also found Midhat's relationship with the Mulineaux interesting and liked its development.

However, around 30% or so, I found the book started to drag. This is quite a long book, but even this far into it, I didn't feel there was much of a plot. It moved way too slowly for me, and there were too many minor characters and side-tracks for it to successfully keep my attention. I also found that in isolation, the main characters actually weren't very interesting. Even now, thinking back, I can't say there are any characteristics about any of them that stick out or were memorable to me.

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The task of repopulating the senior library has been an exciting and daunting task aS in a boarding school our aim is to encourage all members of the community to read. Because of this, I have been searching down a wide and diverse range of books to read that will entice a wide cross-section of the school to come in, browse and find books that they love.
Books like this will ensure that the senior students in the school see the library as a diverse, modern and exciting place with books that speak to them and they want to recommend to their friends, classmates, teachers and tutors.
It is an engrossing and exciting read with fully-formed characters and a plot that ensures that it's hard to look away. It is as far from formulaic as it is possible to be and kept me up far too late in order to finish it. I immediately wanted to read all of this writer's other books as I loved their voice and found that it really drew me into the story and made me think about it even when I'd stepped away from this tale.
This is a thought-provoking read which I'm sure will be a popular and well-read addition to our new library; I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and I know that the students are going to absolutely love it too!

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I really didn’t enjoy this book. Couldn’t even finish it. The storyline was okay I suppose but I just couldn’t get into it at all

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A fascinating book. A history of the Middle East between the world wars.
I did find the frequent use of Midhat’s native tongue, and other languages, a bit difficult; initially I translated them with google, then after a while gave up - surely if it was important to the story, it’s not necessary?
It was a fair depiction of the time, and very interesting to learn more about the ‘other side’ as it were.

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The Parisian is an wonderful novel beginning in WWI, a favourite historical period. Set in Paris it documents rising Nationalism and the French and British occupation, The historical and political facts are woven into the story of Midhat who has studied medicine in Istanbul. In France he meets the person who become the focus of his love, but he moves to Paris after a disagreement where he becomes part of cultured society. Even so, he cannot forget his first love. A gripping novel about love in the time of war, its heartbreaking sorrows and undying love.
Recommended

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The Parisian is an intriguing book, an epic history that is evocative A.S. Byatt in its scope and in its depth of character. Though captivating at the outset I found that it lagged a little in the centre though recovered at the close becoming by turns mesmerising and pacy. A delicate and insightful portrayal of a turbulent period,

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This book has been on my TBR list for quite some time, I anticipated that it might be quite intense and so had been leaving it for a time when I could focus on it.

This is the debut novel from Isabella Hammad and follows a young Palestinian man called Midhat, who leaves home to travel to France to study medicine. He arrives in Montpellier and stays with a host family. This part of the story I really enjoyed, the tension builds, the characterisation is excellent and there was an unfolding romance and some family history that hooked me.

However, in the next part, I began to get a bit lost as there are so many interweaving layers, I found it hard to focus. I am, admittedly, pretty uneducated on the politics in the Middle East during WW1 and the onset of WW2 which I admit would not have helped me here, but there are just so many characters (or the same character referred to with a different term) that I began to lose track.

This is a beautifully written book by a clearly, very talented author. It was my own knowledge and awareness that likely caused this to just be 3 stars. If you like historical fiction and are interested in the development of Middle Eastern politics, you will thoroughly enjoy this I'm sure.

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to review

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A beautifully written well-crafted novel. Full of detail, an xcellent historical fiction of the period from circa 1910-present. Fascinating and a must-read.

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I have always wanted to read about WW1 from Palestine’s viewpoint and I think this book served this purpose admirably. I also admire the book for the strong debut that it is BUT unfortunately think that the story was too long to hold my attention 100%

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This is exactly the sort of book I was looking for. I love historical fiction, especially when it has a relatable, contemporary message. It's a heartwrenching read, but exotic and fascinating. I highly recommend it.

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Well written novel with a lot of reasearch behind the story. It has the feeling of the WWII and the times after the war. I loved every single page of the book.

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Wasn't able to read and review book before it was removed form my e-reader


Midhat Kamal navigates his way across a fractured world, from the shifting politics of the Middle East to the dinner tables of Montpellier and a newly tumultuous Paris. He discovers that everything is fragile: love turns to loss, friends become enemies and everyone is looking for a place to belong.

Isabella Hammad delicately untangles the politics and personal tragedies of a turbulent era – the Palestinian struggle for independence, the strife of the early twentieth century and the looming shadow of the Second World War. An intensely human story amidst a global conflict, The Parisian is historical fiction with a remarkable contemporary voice.

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Sometimes you see a beautiful cover but the story doesn't match. This was wonderful inside and out. Wonderful wealth of characters, beautiful writing and a plot to match. Hammad has written a true gem of a story.

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Wonderful book! Well crafted, terrific atmospheres and strong plot. A few flaws that bothered me while reading; a little meandering at times and slow, as well as some words that weren't translated that meant I spent time looking them up, however good learning experience, and characters a little confusing at times. Overall would highly recommend.

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At 576 pages and the amount of detail in this historical book related to Palestine is not for the faint hearted. I have picked it up then put it down on several occasions only to be drawn back into a story that demands to be read yet envelopes the reader in a surfeit of detail to the point of becoming a distraction. The inclusion of Arabic and French phrases also disrupt immersion in the story. It goes without saying this is a story that should be read and an incredible debut novel by Isabella Hammad. The protagonist Midhat Kamal is a hugely interesting three dimensional character that the reader warms too, and is drawn into a need to understand his journey through life's events from onset of novel when he moves to France to study medicine and falls in love. However the reading experience could and would have become enhanced if condensed into a more tightly written plot and better flow with less weight given to overlong detail and distractions.

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In The Parisian, although a work of fiction, we have a sensitive and elegantly written novel that shines a light on the Palestinian question in the first half of the 20th century. Our hero, Midhat Kamal is sent to France, from Nablus, to train as a doctor. Love distracts him and so he opts to abandon his medical course and run away to Paris where he studies philosophy and socialises with free-thinking Syrian emigres . After a couple of years he returns to Nablus determined to become a success in his father's business. But foreign domination of Palestine by the British, the Germans and the Italians changes everything, except his love for Nablus. How he adapts his life around these changes and how he is perceived by his friends and family forms the body of this novel. Tragedy, lost love, mental illness and the overthrow of the traditional way of life in Nablus threaten to destroy Midhat, but, and perhaps due to the education he received in France, he finds the mental strength and reasoning to survive. An excellent and maturely conceived first novel.

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Midhat Kamal arrives in Montpellier in 1914 to study at the University to become a doctor. He falls in love with his University professor landlords daughter, Jeanette, but he becomes disillusioned with the family, and leaves to continue studying in Paris. He lives here during the war, and becomes friends with other Arabic men during a tumultuous time in the Middle East.

When Midhat returns home to Nablus, he is expected to conform to his fathers wishes, marry a woman from a good Muslim family, and work for the family business. He is thereafter known as The Parisian to those who don’t really know him, because of his style of dress and his outlook on life.

Politics soon begin to affect every part of his life, as the colonial powers of Britain and France flex their muscles. Their unwillingness to learn histories and the way people actually want to live cause untold problems, which actually we still see the consequences of today.

I can see that some may struggle with the French and Arabic peppered through the dialogue (I don’t speak Arabic), but I do think it was used in such a way that I didn’t lose track of what was happening, and it lent some credibility to the story. Midhat slips in french words to his speech when something surprises him, or he feels strongly about something. His second language has become a part of him. Endearments are usually in Arabic as well (it took a little while for me to realise what they were, and there are other words used that aren’t just endearments, I’m sure!).

This is a beautifully told story. It’s hard to read in places - history isn’t always very pretty. But I think it’s important to learn about the past in order to understand the present and hopefully learn from past mistakes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.

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